Sapsucker
Encyclopedia
The Sapsuckers form the genus
Sphyrapicus within the woodpecker
family Picidae
. All are found in North America
.
As their name implies, sapsuckers feed primarily on the sap
of tree
s, moving among different tree and shrub species on a seasonal basis. Insect
s, especially those attracted to the sweet sap exuding from sap holes, are often captured and fed to the young during the breeding season. The most easily recognized sap holes are found in birch
trees during the breeding season.
The members of this genus are slender birds with stiff tails and relatively long wings. Their typical pattern in flight is undulating, alternating between quick bursts of wing beats and short dips with wings tucked against the body.
Because sapsuckers attack living trees, they are often considered a pest species.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Sphyrapicus within the woodpecker
Woodpecker
Woodpeckers are near passerine birds of the order Piciformes. They are one subfamily in the family Picidae, which also includes the piculets and wrynecks. They are found worldwide and include about 180 species....
family Picidae
Picidae
The woodpeckers, piculets and wrynecks are a family, Picidae, of near-passerine birds. Members of this family are found worldwide, except for Australia and New Zealand, Madagascar, and the extreme polar regions...
. All are found in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
As their name implies, sapsuckers feed primarily on the sap
Sap
Sap may refer to:* Plant sap, the fluid transported in xylem cells or phloem sieve tube elements of a plant* Sap , a village in the Dunajská Streda District of Slovakia...
of tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s, moving among different tree and shrub species on a seasonal basis. Insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s, especially those attracted to the sweet sap exuding from sap holes, are often captured and fed to the young during the breeding season. The most easily recognized sap holes are found in birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
trees during the breeding season.
The members of this genus are slender birds with stiff tails and relatively long wings. Their typical pattern in flight is undulating, alternating between quick bursts of wing beats and short dips with wings tucked against the body.
Because sapsuckers attack living trees, they are often considered a pest species.
Species currently recognised include
- Red-naped SapsuckerRed-naped SapsuckerThe Red-naped Sapsucker is a medium-sized woodpecker.-Habitat:Their breeding habitat is mixed forests in the Rocky Mountains and Great Basin areas of North America. They nest in a cavity in a dead tree. Other species which nest in tree cavities reuse nests formerly used by these...
Sphyrapicus nuchalis - Red-breasted SapsuckerRed-breasted SapsuckerThe Red-breasted Sapsucker , is a medium-sized woodpecker of the forests of the west coast of North America.-Description:...
Sphyrapicus ruber - Williamson's SapsuckerWilliamson's SapsuckerWilliamson's Sapsucker, Sphyrapicus thyroideus, is a medium-sized woodpecker belonging to the genus Sphyrapicus .-Habitat and range:...
Sphyrapicus thyroideus - Yellow-bellied SapsuckerYellow-bellied SapsuckerThe Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is a medium-sized woodpecker found in North America, Central America and the Caribbean.-Taxonomy:...
Sphyrapicus varius